Gas burner control



Oct. 24, 1939. w s MGDONOUGH GAS BURNER CONTROL Filed Aug. 23, 1957 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED s ATEs PATENT OFFICE GA S BURNER CONTROL Walter S. McDonough, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application August 23, 1937, Serial No. 160,401

- z Claimsi '(Cl. 251-163) This invention has to dolwith the gas burner valves and is concerned primarily with means for mechanically controlling operation of a valve.

While a gas burner, suchas is used for home cooking purposes, is turned on in varying degrees during the normal use of the same, the degree of heat which is used more than. any other is the so-called simmering point, that is the amount of gas that is supplied to the burner will be just sufficient to support combustion. Heretofore there have been proposed certain devices for mechanically indicating when the gas burner is turned to this simmering point, such device being illustrated and described in the co-pending application of Walter S. McDonough, Serial No. 137,187, filed April 16, 1937, entitled Gas burner control.

\ The present invention has in view as its foremost objective the provision of control mechanism for a gas burner of the same general type set forth in the above-identified co-pending application, but which device is improved to afford distinct advantages over known devices of this character.

The invention has in view as a further objective the provision of control mechanism of the character above indicated which is readily assembled on the conventional gas burner stove and which is susceptible of being adjustedto vary the simmering point which is determined by the mechanism.

These and other more detailed objects and advantages will in part become apparent and in part be hereinafter stated as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention, therefore, comprises novel and improved control mechanism which is readily and easily assembled on the conventional gas burner and which is adjustable to vary the simmering point, which is determined by the mechanism.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention reference may behad to. the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein V s Figure 1 is a side View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a gas burner with the control mechanism of this invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is an elevational showing taken at right angles to the showing of Figure 1 and develops the operating member for the gas burner together with the operating member for adjusting the simmering point, I

Figure 3 is a detailed view in perspective of the supporting yoke constituting a part ofgthe control mechanism, i I 7 Figure 4 is another perspective illustration of one of the ring elements of the mechanism,

Figure 5 is an end view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the ring member shown in Figure 4 with the adjusting lever applied 5 thereto,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lever and associated structure per se, and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the inner member of the mechanism. 10

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, the wall of a stove which may be of any conventional design is shown fragmentarily in Figure 1 and designated ID. This wall In is formed with an 15 opening H through which extends a shaft I2 that constitutes the gas burner control. This shaft I2 extends into the interior of the stove Where it is operatively connected to the valve that controls the flow of gas to the particular burner, the 20 valve mechanism being referred to generally at V. This valve mechanism V may be supported from supporting structure which constitutes a part of the stove and which is identified at l3.

. The'shaft l2 projects through the opening H 25 on the front face of the stove and mounted thereon in a well-known manner, as by a set screw M,

is an operating member l5. Ordinarily this operating member l5 carries a circular shield l6 formed as an integral part thereof, and which 30 shield conceals the opening II. The wall ll) of the stove is formed with an arcuate slot at i! for. a purpose to be hereinafter described, and it is notable that this slot is disposed beyond the peripheral edge of the shield l 6.

The control mechanism of this invention is carried by a yoke member that is shown in Figure 3 and which is referred to in its entirety by the reference character Y. The yoke Y comprises a circularly shaped disc member 18, formed with 4 an opening I9, through which passes the shaft l2. When the yokeY is assembled on the shaft l2, the outer face of the disk I8 is disposed in engagement with the inner face of the wall I0. Extending from diametrically opposite points, 5 and preferably integrally therewith, are a pair of tabs 20 and 2i, each of which is formed with ears 22 and 23. The ears 23 are formed with openings 24, and threaded bolts 25 pass through openings in the supporting structure l3 and the 50 openings 24 to secure the yoke Y in position. When the yoke Y is in position, the space between the disk I8 and ears 22 and 23 houses the control mechanism.

.. Ordinarily the valves of gas burners of the type with which this invention is concerned include a spring for maintaining a valve element seated, and this spring is shown in Figure 1 at 26 and is illustrated as being positioned about the shaft l2. This spring 26 is availed of to perform certain functions in the present control mechanism as will be hereinafter pointed out.

The inner face of the disk I8 is lined with a friction material such as the gasket illustrated at 27, the gasket having an opening to accommodate the shaft l2.

The ring member shown in Figure 7 is designated 28 and is shown as formed with a groove? 29 on its outer periphery, and this groove 29 is adapted to receive a ball detent, as will" be later described, to establish a stop. The. ring member 28 is formed with a bore 36 for receiving the shaft l2 and a recess extends from the outer periphery to the bore 33, and which recess is designated 3|. The recess 3| is cylindrical in shape and is threaded to receive a set screw 32. This set screw 32' is pointed in a well kn'own manner and is adapted to engage the shaft [2 tosecurely anchor the ring member 28 in position thereon.

An outer ring member is designated 33 and is shown in detail in Figure 4. The ring member 33 has an inner cylindricalwall' 34 that'defi nes a recess which receives the inner ring member 28. This ring member33 also hasan outer cylindrical wall 35 which is formed with aradial extending recess 36 that constitutes a housing for aspring actuated ball detent 31, the spring for the detent 3i beingshown at 38'. On each side of the recess 36, the outer cylindrical surface 35 is formed with a pair of threaded openings 39'. A'- spring retaining plate 40 has an arcuate curva-' ture corresponding to the cylindrical wall 35* and is formed with spaced openings 4|. Screws 42 are threaded through the openings 4-l-'in'to the openings 39' and thus maintain the retaining plate 40 in position over the recess 36} As is clearly brought out in Figure 6', the retaining plate 40 is formed with an offset extension 43 that projects throughthe arcuate slot I! and is thus constituted a thumb'lever for adjusting the position of the ring member 313.

One fiat face of the ring member 33 is roughened or corrugated as shown at 44' in Figure 3, and this roughenedsurface engages the friction material 21. I

The opposite flat face of'the ring member 33 is formed with a plurality ofopenings 45, which are availed of as a means for anchoring acover plate designated 46 to the ring member 33, screws shown at 41 being availed of as the enchoring medium. As shown in Figure 1,. the cover plate 46 extends over the inner ringimember 28, and engaging the outer surface of this cover plate 46 is the spring 26. Thus, because of the presence of the spring 26,. a certain. required amount of pressure is maintained on the ring 33 to urge the roughenedsurface 44. againstthe friction material 21' whereby the. ring 33is, yieldably maintained inposition. However, the resistance offered by the engagement of. the roughened surface 44 and friction material-121 may be overcome by a person availing of the thumb lever 43, and the ring" member 33, thus adjusted.

The ring member 28* is so positioned on the shaft l2 that upon the valve V being opened sufficiently to supply the required amount of gas for the desired simmering point, the ball detent 31 will be received inthe groovezfl. I Chviously, by applyingia necessary amount 'ofrotative force to the operating member IS, the resistance to the rotative movement offered by the ball detent 31 and groove 29 may be overcome, and the valve V be completely closed, or when the force is applied in the opposite direction, opened further.

However, one operating the member Hi can readily ascertain when the ball detent 31 is received in the groove 29, either because of the click that will be heard,. or' also because of the.

resistance necessary to be-overcome in order to rotate the shaft l2 and move the ball detent 3'! out of the groove 29.

In. assembling or dissembling the control mechanism, above described, on the shaft I2, it is notablethat. by aligning the recesses 3! in the inner ring member and 36 in the outer ring member a suitable tool maybe inserted into the aligned recesses for threading home or unscrewing the said screw 32. a

Each o-fthe'rings 28 and 33 may be made from any suitable material, but the invention has in view as a preferred material a non-corrosive engagement with the inner face of the said plate,

the opposite face of said disc being linedwith a friction material, an inner ring member nonrotatively affixed to said shaft and having a recess in itsouter periphery, an outer ring memher having a radially extending recess, a ball in said recess adapted to be received in the recess in the inner ring member to constitute a stop, said ball being actuated by a spring disposed in said recess, a spring retaining 'plate covering said recess and anchored to the' outer periphery of said outer ring'member, tlie'said plate being formed with an 'arcuate slot, the said retaining plate having an extension, projecting through said arcuate slot, said'outer ring member having a' roughenedsurface in engagement with the said friction material, a' cover plate carried by said" outer ring member and extending over said inner ring member and a spring engaging said cover plate to urge the roughened surface of the outer ring member against'the friction material to yieldably maintain the outer ring member in position.

2. Control mechanism for a valve operating shaft comprising a yoke having a front disk formed with an opening through which passes the said shaft, an inner ring member nonrotatably affixed to the said shaft, said inner ring member having an outer cylindrical surface formed with a: recess therein, an outer ring member having a bore receiving the inner ring member, and an outer cylindrical surface, said outer ring member being formed with a radially extending recess extending from the outer cylindrical surface'to the inner bore, a ball detent disposed in said recess and adapted to be received in the recess in the inner ring member, a spring inthe" recess of the outer ring member engaging said ball detent to force the same against the inner ring member, a retaining plate for said spring anchored to the outer cylindrical surface of said outer ring member and covering said recess in the outer ring member, a cover plate carried by said outer ring member and extending over said inner ring member to maintain the latter assembled with the outer ring member, and friction means disposed between the opposite face of the outer ring member and the inner face of the front disk of the yoke.

WALTER S. MCDONOUGH. 

